1. The Technical Field
The invention relates to a flexible shaft coupling whose two coupling halves, each comprising a connecting flange, are connected to one another by means of a lamella packet collar so as to rotate together but be axially and angularly movable relative to one another, wherein the lamella packet collar is formed of several lamellas axially spaced by spacer elements and is fastened by means of circumferentially distributed fastening and clamping elements alternatingly to the two connecting flanges.
2. The Prior Art
Such couplings are known and have proven successful in practice. They allow the compensation of an axial misalignment as well as an angular misalignment of the shafts to be connected with one another. Depending on the revolutions per minute and the angular misalignment, however, unpleasant noise may result because the lamellas are subjected to bending movements for each shaft rotation as a result of the angular misalignment.
The present invention has therefore the object to provide a coupling of the aforementioned kind in which no unpleasant noise, or a substantially reduced noise, occurs as a result of the bending movements caused by the angular misalignment compensation of the lamellas.
This object is solved according to the invention in that the lamellas are connected to one another by means of an elastic material in a positive-locking manner in that the lamellas are embedded in the elastic material so that the elastic material is arranged between the lamellas and at the outer sides of the lamella packet collar.
The molding process can take place after mounting of the lamella packet collar comprised of the clamping elements, the lamellas, and the spacer elements. Thus, with regard to manufacturing technology, the invention can be realized in a relatively simple manner.
Tests have shown that with a coupling modified in this way no unpleasant noise occurs as a result of the bending movements caused by the angular misalignment compensation.
A preferred embodiment of the coupling according to the invention resides in that the lamellas in the area between the fastening and clamping elements have several bores in which the elastic material is positive-lockingly molded. With this measure, an especially good and permanent connection between the lamellas and the elastic material is ensured because the elastic material is connected via all lamellas with one another.
A further preferred embodiment resides in that the width of the lamellas, starting at the fastening and clamping elements, tapers in the direction toward the center between the fastening and clamping elements. This improves the flexibility of the lamellas and thus of the shaft coupling while the strength of the lamellas in the area of the fastening and threading locations at the connecting flanges remains still sufficiently high. Further preferred and advantageous embodiments of the coupling according to the invention are provided in the dependent claims.
In the following the invention will be explained in more detail with the aid of the drawing illustrating one embodiment. It is shown in detail in: